The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-10
THE RIVER MEMS PROTEST
Against the Petition OF the LOuIS-
willie and MashViiIe Railroad.

Against tho Petition OF the LouiS-
Vile and MashViiIe Railroad.
Below is the text of the protest filed
by the Western river men against the
petition fled by the Louisville and
Nashville railroad combination to b.
allowed 90 maintain special rates, and
following the piot4et will be found the
argument Of the Hon. BENZ amin But
terwoith, in support Of thu position OF
the river men:
WAsmxaToN, Gpril 6, 1887.
To the Honorable Interstate Commerce
Commission:
GENTLRMKN-We, the undersigned
committee, representing the water
lines of transportat on on the 0hio,
Tennessee, Cumberland and parts of
the Mississippi, are constrained TO sp.
peal TO You that justice be done the
interest we represent in the execution
OF the interstate commerce aw. a.
ready you are strongly beset to with.
hold its provisions and give full power
to come railroads to continue the
fraudulent practices of making \
greater charge Tor shorter haul OF
passengers aud property than FIR
longer one. One company, the Louis.
vile and Nashville, persiseatly asking
this privilege, show by their own fil.
ures that they have been charging so
per cant. more on their local business
than on their through business, and
AJAX to he let alone in this unjust die
elimination. Why? Because they
have through competition with water
lines and other railroads now com.
pleted, which said completed system
alleges that compliance with the utter
state commerce law will force it into
bankruptcy. See what this road or
system has been doing. The termini
OF the road were Louisville aud N sh-
vile, and the line between the two
points was completed in 1859. Som
after the completion of tbs m ain stem
in 1870, they built ths lebanon branch
to Rock Castle Creek, 140 miles; in
1883 extended it. In 1866 they grad
ually extended the read from Mem
phis to Paris, Tenn. completed dur
ing the years 1860 and 1861 the Mem
phiq, Olarksville and Louisville rail-
road, from Guthrie. KY, to Paris,
Tenn, purchasing the same in 1871;
purchased controlling interest in the
South and Nor.h Alabama Railroad
Company, completed the road and
opened Il for businees in 1872.
SIN 1880 purchased the Mobile and
Montgomery railroad, $50 miles long,
and in 1880 pure aassd the New Or
leans and Mobile railroad, lao miles
long. The same year purchased the
Pensacola railroad, .rty.three miles
long; in 1879 purchased the Evans
vile, Henderson aud Nashville rail-
road, las miles long in 1880 purchased
control OF the controlling iaterest OF
The Nashville railroad, extending from
0wensbuFg, KY, to Central City,
thiTty-fve and a half mlles-since com.
plotting 1t 10 AdairsVille, eighty-four
miles; in 1861 purchased the Cincin-
natl and Lexington Railroad Compa-
nv, ninety-four mile land from La
grange TO Cincinnati, eighty-three
miles, claiming control of 2O22 miles
OF road, all originating from excessive
charges ON local trade, and Low come
before you asking TO be let alone, or,
that water lines, by your act should
not be competitors OF theirs in traffic,
and that tho work Of unjust discrimi-
nation should 70 on. But we trust
thai this cormoTant will be made TO
comply with the law passed for pro-
lection OF local and email shippers
from unjust discrimir alton.
''As for the water lines, we have
never charged more for short haul
than for longer one under similar
circumstances. We did not ask for